| Argosy University | |
|---|---|
| Motto | "Guiding Intellectual and Professional Journeys" |
| Established | 1970s (as University of Sarasota, Medical Institute of Minnesota, American School of Professional Psychology) 2001 |
| Type | Private, for profit |
| President | Craig D. Swenson, PhD |
| Students | 18461[1] |
| Undergraduates | 3921 |
| Postgraduates | 14540 |
| Location | Orange, CA, USA |
| Campus | 19 campuses and online |
| Website | http://www.argosy.edu/ |
Argosy University is a for-profit university owned by Education Management Corporation[2], with 19 locations in 13 U.S. states and online.[3] The university offers numerous programs at various levels, including certification; associates, bachelors, masters, specialist, and doctoral degrees, postdoctoral specialization, postgraduate concentrations, etc. Programs vary by campus.
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Argosy University was formed in 2001 by the merging of three separate academic institutions: the American Schools of Professional Psychology, the University of Sarasota, and the Medical Institute of Minnesota.[4] Dr. James Otten was named the founding President.
The American Schools of Professional Psychology began as the Illinois School of Professional Psychology (ISPP). The ISPP was founded in the early 1970s by Dr. Michael C. Markovitz and a group of psychologists, educators, and other professionals who called for a clinical psychology degree that emphasized teaching and practical training over the research-oriented approach of the traditional PhD degree. After buying out his cofounders, Markovitz added additional campuses, forming what then became known as The American Schools of Professional Psychology.[5]
The University of Sarasota had for more than 30 years offered degree programs in business and education to working adults through a delivery format that mixed distance learning and brief, intensive on-campus study periods.
The Medical Institute of Minnesota was established in 1961 to prepare allied health care personnel for careers in the booming medical technology fields.
Argosy University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges[6] and comprises five colleges within 19 campus locations across the U.S. which offer varying degree programs. Degree programs are also offered online through their Phoenix campus. The colleges include the College of Undergraduate Studies, College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, College of Education , College of Business and College of Health Sciences.[7]
APA Accreditation for PsyD programs varies by campus. Currently the Atlanta, Chicago, Hawaii, Orange County, Phoenix, San Francisco Bay Area, Schaumburg, Tampa, Twin Cities, and Washington, D.C. campuses are APA accredited. The San Francisco Bay Area campus is currently accredited with probation. Its next APA visit is scheduled for 2013.[8]
The degrees offered by Argosy University vary by campus, but may include degrees in psychology, counselor education, marriage and family therapy, education, business, criminal justice, and liberal arts.[9] APA accreditation for doctoral programs in Clinical Psychology also varies by campus.[10]
The Chicago campus, formerly known as the Illinois School of Professional Psychology (ISPP-Chicago), was one of the first professional schools in the U.S. to institute a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program. Founded in 1978, its doctoral program (PsyD) in clinical psychology has been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1985.[11][12]
Argosy University, Seattle was also an established school before merging with Argosy. Founded in 1995 as the Washington School of Professional Psychology, it now consists of five divisions: the College of Psychology and Behavioral sciences, the College of Education, the College of Business, the College of Health Sciences, and the College of Undergraduate Studies.[13]
Physical campuses offer traditional classroom instruction and residencies for master's and doctoral programs. The university also offers 100% online degree programs through the Phoenix campus to allow flexibility for students to attend class day or night. [14]
The Online Educational Database (OEDb) currently ranks Argosy University's online program at #16 considering eight metrics including acceptance rate, financial aid, graduation rate, online programs, retention rate, scholarly citations, student-faculty ratio, and years accredited.[15]
In 2009, 15 students sued Argosy University's Dallas campus, accusing the school of fraud.[18] They allege that Argosy representatives pressured them to enroll in the college, representing that the campus was in the process of seeking accreditation by the American Psychological Association (APA) and would be accredited by the APA by the time the students graduated. Other Argosy campuses were already APA accredited at the time.[19] However, when the students graduated, the Dallas campus had made no progress toward APA accreditation, which the students claim significantly hindered their employment opportunities and thus their ability to pay off their student loans.[20]
Argosy officials rejected charges of fraud, noting that pursuit of APA accreditation for the Dallas campus was still underway.[21] Argosy campuses which had already successfully achieved accreditation included those in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois; Hawaii; Orange County and San Francisco, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Tampa, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Twin Cities, Minnesota and Washington, DC.[22]
The Office of the Florida Attorney General is currently conducting a civil investigation of eight proprietary schools, including Argosy University, regarding "[a]lleged misrepresentations regarding financial aid; alleged unfair/deceptive practices regarding recruitment, enrollment, accreditation, placement, graduation rates, etc."[23] Of the 183 consumer complaints received, the majority (two-thirds) were against Everest University and Kaplan University. The University of Phoenix received 22, Kaiser University received 21. Of the residual, 8 were against Argosy University, 5 against Sanford-Brown Institute, 4 against MedVance Institute, and 3 against Concorde Career Institute. Officials in these schools were recorded as cooperating, while also noting that the number of complaints for each represent less than half a percent of their student enrollment.[24]
Argosy was one of 15 for-profit colleges cited by the Government Accountability Office in 2010 for questionable statements made to undercover investigators posing as applicants.[25] Argosy University's enrollment advisers were accused of using high-pressure sales tactics on prospective students. The GAO later revised its report, with Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming) saying the changes made "undermine many of the allegations" in the original report but the head of the GAO maintained that "Nothing changed with the overall message of the report, and nothing changed with any of our findings."[26] In May 2010, the PBS program Frontline aired an expose about for-profit universities called "College, Inc." which featured Argosy University among others.[27] According to the program, the Director of Admissions at Argosy wrote an email to enrollment counselors instructing them to "Create a sense of urgency. Push their hot button. Don't let the student off the phone. Dial, dial, dial."[28]